FW23 LUXOR

FW23 LUXOR MEN'S

MEN

INFO

THURSDAY 19 JAN 2023, 12H30 CET
PALAIS DE TOKYO, 13 AVENUE DU PRÉSIDENT WILSON, 75116 PARIS
GALLERY: [ RICKOWENS.EU ]
VIDEO: [ VIMEO ] // [ YOUTUBE ]

CREDITS

CASTING: AM CASTING (CLM)
HAIR: DUFFY (STREETERS)
MAKEUP: DANIEL SALLSTROM (MA WORLD GROUP)
PRODUCTION: LA MODE EN IMAGES
MUSIC: EXTENDED MIX OF ‘BROTHER WOLF, SISTER MOON’ BY THE CULT

NOTES

IF VENICE, ITALY, HAS BEEN MY SUMMER RETREAT THEN LUXOR, EGYPT, HAS BECOME MY WINTER RETREAT. THE VASTNESS AND SCALE LINE UP WITH THE CECIL B. DEMILLE FANTASY OF EGYPT IN THE MOVIE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (ART DIRECTED BY PAUL IRIBE!), WHICH I WATCH NIGHTLY WHILE WORKING OUT WITH BRUTALISMUS 3000 PUMPING THROUGH MY EARPHONES. MERGING REAL LIFE WITH FANTASY LIFE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS. AND MEASURING THE INSIGNIFICANCE OF CONTEMPORARY DISCOMFORTS AGAINST THAT AMOUNT OF HISTORY COMFORTS ME.

I HAVE ALSO USED EMBROIDERED IMAGERY FROM NEA OFFENDING PERFORMANCE ARTIST RON ATHEY — AN OLD FRIEND FROM HOLLYWOOD, WHO USED KENNETH ANGER’S VERY STYLIZED INTERPRETATION OF EGYPTIAN CEREMONY IN HIS 1970S UNDERGROUND FILMS AS THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS PERFORMANCE PIECE INCORRUPTIBLE FLESH, FROM WHICH HE GRACIOUSLY LENT ME AN IMAGE.

THIS COLLECTION IS ABOUT REDUCED ARCHITECTURAL SHAPES WITH A WHIFF OF SLEAZY SEVENTIES PSEUDO-MYSTICISM. SHARP SHOULDERS AND HIGH, TIGHT WAISTS FLARE TO THE ANKLE RECALLING AN ALMOST VICTORIAN SILLHOUETTE — A REFLECTION OF A PRIMNESS WE SEE IN A PREVALENCE OF CURRENT ONLINE JUDGEMENT.

FLIGHT JKTS ARE MADE IN NYLONS MADE FROM GRS (GLOBAL RECYCLED STANDARD) CERTIFIED RECYCLED POLYAMIDE AND DYED USING A SPECIALIZED TECHNIQUE THAT ALLOWS ECOLOGICAL NATURAL PIGMENTS TO BE USED ON SYNTHETIC FIBERS. BLACK IS DYED WITH BAMBOO CHARCOAL WHILE GREEN IS ACHIEVED USING OLIVE WASTE.

TAILORING IS EXECUTED IN A COMPACT MOHAIR BROKEN TWILL WOVEN ON 1950S VINTAGE SHUTTLE LOOMS EXCLUSIVELY FOR US BY BONOTTO, A 4TH GENERATION TEXTILE MILL FOUNDED IN 1912, SITUATED JUST BELOW THE PRE-ALPS IN VENETO, ITALY.

MIDI A-LINE SKIRTS AND SPIKE-SHOULDERED BLOUSONS ARE IN 18OZ JAPANESE INDIGO SELVEDGE DENIM. OUR DENIM WASH HOUSE IN VENETO, ITALY, USES ONLY ZDHC CERTIFIED PRODUCTS AND UTILIZES A WATER PURIFYING PROCESS THAT ENABLES THEM TO RECYCLE A LARGE PORTION OF THE WATER USED.

OUTERWEAR AND JUMPSUITS IN HEAVYWEIGHT AND CRISP MOLESKINS ARE WOVEN IN LOMBARDY, ITALY USING GOTS (GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD) CERTIFIED ORGANIC COTTON. THE MILL AND FAMILY RUNNING IT HAVE ROOTS GOING BACK TO 1597.

SHAGGY JACKETS COME IN HEAVYWEIGHT UNSHAVEN HAIR-ON COWHIDES TANNED IN THE VENETO AREA OF ITALY BY A 2ND GENERATION FAMILY-OWNED TANNERY THAT HAS A LWG GOLD RATING. THIS ENSURES TRACEABILITY OF RAW MATERIAL, HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, AND EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY AND WATER CONSUMPTION IN THE TANNING PROCESS.

WE CONTINUE OUR USE OF WAXY AND SOFT PIRARUCU FISH SKINS. BY RECYCLING THESE GIANT SKINS, INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN BRAZIL ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE A SIGNIFICANT INCOME FROM SOMETHING THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE DISCARDED. THE SKINS ARE TANNED IN BRAZIL THROUGH A LOW-IMPACT TANNING PROCESS AND FINISHED IN ITALY.

CUFFS AND CHOKERS PRODUCED IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF FLORENCE ARE MADE FROM SOLID ALUMINUM IN DARK BRONZE FINISH ORNAMENTED WITH SMOKEY QUARTZ CRYSTALS CUT OUTSIDE OF VENICE.

GLOVES MADE IN GLOSSY OR SHAVED HAIR-ON CALF LEATHER ARE MADE BY A 5TH GENERATION FAMILY COMPANY FOUNDED IN 1923 AND SITUATED IN THE CENTER OF NAPLES, ITALY. EACH GLOVE TAKES NO LESS THAN 25 STAGES TO PRODUCE, CARRIED OUT STRICTLY BY HAND.

THERE IS A BITTERNESS TO CREATING A COLLECTION DURING A WAR — A DESIRE TO CONTRIBUTE OUR SOMBRE BEST IN AN INDUSTRY THAT MUST REMAIN STALWART, BUT WITH A SENSE OF FRUSTRATION THAT NOTHING IS ENOUGH.

FW23 LUXOR WOMEN'S

WOMEN

INFO

THURSDAY 03 MARCH 2023, 17H30 CET
PALAIS DE TOKYO, 13 AVENUE DU PRÉSIDENT WILSON, 75116 PARIS
GALLERY: [ RICKOWENS.EU ]
VIDEO: [ VIMEO // YOUTUBE ]

CREDITS

CASTING: AM CASTING (CLM)
HAIR: DUFFY (STREETERS)
MAKEUP: MAC COSMETICS AND DANIEL SALLSTROM (MA WORLD GROUP)
PRODUCTION: LA MODE EN IMAGES
MUSIC: EXTENDED MIX OF ‘SURVIVE’ BY PEACHES

NOTES

FOR THE MEN’S ‘LUXOR’ RUNWAY COLLECTION PRESS NOTES IN JANUARY, I WROTE THE FOLLOWING:

“IF VENICE, ITALY, HAS BEEN MY SUMMER RETREAT THEN LUXOR, EGYPT, HAS BECOME MY WINTER RETREAT. THE VASTNESS AND SCALE LINE UP WITH THE CECIL B. DEMILLE FANTASY OF EGYPT IN THE MOVIE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (ART DIRECTED BY PAUL IRIBE!), WHICH I WATCH NIGHTLY WHILE WORKING OUT WITH BRUTALISMUS 3000 PUMPING THROUGH MY EARPHONES. MERGING REAL LIFE WITH FANTASY LIFE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS. AND MEASURING THE INSIGNIFICANCE OF CONTEMPORARY TENSIONS AGAINST THAT IDEA OF ETERNITY COMFORTS ME.”

FOR THE WOMEN’S ‘LUXOR’ RUNWAY COLLECTION, WE ARE ONE YEAR INTO A WAR AND WITNESSING HOW INSPIRING DIGNITY IN THE FACE OF AGGRESSION CAN BE. TIMES LIKE THESE MIGHT CALL FOR A RESPECTFUL FORMALITY AND SOBRIETY WITH MOMENTS OF DELICACY AS REMINDERS OF WHAT IS AT RISK AND AT STAKE.

CLOTHES HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO THE SIMPLEST OF SHAPES. THERE’S A GENTLE BUT DEFIANT SWOOP TO THE SOFT JUMBO PADDED GARLANDS SLUNG OVER SHOULDERS OR THE SWINGING FOLDS OF A FLOWING CAPE. THESE ARE WORN OVER LENGTHS OF WOOL WRAPPED AT THE BOSOM AS ELONGATED BUSTIERS… OR WRAPPED AT THE HIP TO CREATE SKIRTS WITH SINUOUS TRAINS.

THE GARLANDS ARE SIMPLY DUVET-FILLED DONUTS OF VARYING SIZES EXECUTED IN AIRY AND LIGHTWEIGHT GRS (GLOBAL RECYCLED STANDARD) CERTIFIED RECYCLED POLYAMIDE OR ENZYME-FINISHED HEAVYWEIGHT PURE SILK CHARMEUSE, BOTH WOVEN IN COMO, ITALY. DONUTS AND COWLS ALSO COME IN LIGHTWEIGHT VEG TANNED AND WAXY LAMB SKINS FROM SOLOFRA OUTSIDE OF NAPOLI IN THE SOUTH OF ITALY. VEG TANNING MEANS ONLY VEGETAL AND NATURAL TANNINS ARE USED IN THE PROCESS OF TANNING AND PRESERVING THE LEATHER.

KNIT TUNICS AND DRESSES ARE SLASHED TO THE ARMPIT OR SLIT TO THE THIGH, SUGGESTING THE PHYSICALITY OF ACTION. LEGGINGS, STOCKINGS, AND BRIEFS ALLOW THEM TO BE WORN IN LAYERS COVERING OR REVEALING AT WILL. THEY ARE MADE FROM GRS (GLOBAL RECYCLED STANDARD) CERTIFIED RECYCLED CASHMERE. USING RECYCLED CASHMERE HELPS TO FIND A PURPOSE FOR RAW MATERIALS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE DISCARDED AND LESSEN THE DEPENDENCY ON VIRGIN FIBRES.

MATTE SEQUINS IN MUTED TONES ARE EMBROIDERED ONTO COATS CUT IN RWS (RESPONSIBLE WOOL STANDARD) CERTIFIED FELTED PURE WOOL. USING RWS WOOL ENSURES A HIGH STANDARD OF ANIMAL WELFARE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. EACH BALE OF WOOL IS ALSO TRACEABLE BACK TO ITS SOURCE.

SKIRTS, DRESSES, AND DONUTS ARE ALSO SHOWN IN 13OZ JAPANESE INDIGO SELVEDGE DENIM, WHICH IS MINERAL WASHED AND FINISHED WITH AN ACID COLORED DEGRADE OR SHREDDED BY LASERS. OUR DENIM WASH HOUSE IN VENETO, ITALY, USES ONLY ZDHC CERTIFIED PRODUCTS AND UTILIZES A WATER PURIFYING PROCESS THAT ENABLES THEM TO RECYCLE A LARGE PORTION OF THE WATER USED.

CUFFS AND CHOKERS PRODUCED IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF FLORENCE ARE MADE FROM SOLID ALUMINUM IN A DARK BRONZE FINISH ORNAMENTED WITH SMOKEY QUARTZ CRYSTALS CUT OUTSIDE OF VENICE.

OUR LUCITE-HEELED PLATFORM BOOTS ARE SWOLLEN TO NEW DIMENSIONS WITH DUVET PADDING IN VEG TANNED LEATHER FROM TUSCANY, ITALY. THE TANNERY MAKING THIS LEATHER HAS A LWG GOLD RATING. THIS ENSURES TRACEABILITY OF RAW MATERIAL, HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, AND EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY AND WATER CONSUMPTION IN THE TANNING PROCESS.

PEACHES, A QUEER PIONEER GOING ON TOUR TO COMMEMORATE 20 YEARS SINCE HER DEBUT ALBUM, THE TEACHES OF PEACHES, INTRODUCES A NEW SONG FOR THE SOUNDTRACK TITLED ‘SURVIVE’. THE GRAPHIC SEXUALITY IN HER INTELLIGENT LYRICS OVER TIGHT BRUTAL ELECTRONIC BEATS HELPED MAKE A GENERATION OF FEMINIST WOMEN SINGERS REVEL IN AS MUCH SEXUAL CONTROL AS HAD BEEN TRADITIONALLY HELD BY THEIR MALE MUSICAL COUNTERPARTS. SHE IS AN ESSENTIAL COUNTERBALANCE TO INTOLERANT ENERGY THAT IS STILL UNFORTUNATELY A FACT OF LIFE. AND HER SCRAPPY RESISTANCE AND FEROCITY IS AN EXAMPLE MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER.